Content Area(s): Life Science Topic: Health benefits of vitamin supplements Short description: Recent large-scale human studies suggests that multivitamins and many other dietary supplements often don't have health benefits, and in some cases may even cause harm.
Claim: Taking vitamin supplements might be harmful to a person's health.
Keywords: multivitamins, supplements Difficulty of Concept: Easy
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Americans shell out billions of dollars every year on vitamins and supplements even though much of the food that we eat has been fortified with extra vitamins and nutrients. We are bombarded daily with ads touting the benefits of taking vitamins. But new research not only refutes many of these claims, it also shows that some of these vitamins may in fact be harmful. For example, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that taking antioxidant vitamins actually increased a person’s risk of dying by up to 16 percent. Another study by researchers at the University of Washington found that high doses of vitamin E taken over ten years slightly elevated lung cancer risk in smokers. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that men who took more than one multivitamin daily had a higher risk of prostate cancer. "Unless your doctor says you need supplements for a specific diagnosis, there is no reason to take them and no need to spend the money," says Christian Gluud, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
Most people think of vitamins as natural and safe since they're sold over the counter everywhere, including health food stores. And many consumers figure you can’t get too much of a good thing. What consumers tend to forget is that many processed foods and so-called diet foods, from crackers to energy bars, are "fortified" with additional vitamins and minerals. Eat and drink enough of these products, take a few pills, and you could be overdosing on some vitamins. Though rare, some reports have shown that bad side effects and even deaths do happen from a vitamin overdose. Additionally, some studies show that about half of the vitamin products sold are either contaminated or not accurately labeled.
References/Sources:
"The End of Illness", David B. Agus, MD, Free Press 2012.
"Arch Intern Med -- Abstract: Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women: The Iowa Women's Health Study, October 10, 2011, Mursu Et Al. 171 (18): 1625." Archives of Internal Medicine, a Bimonthly Peer-reviewed Medical Journal Published by AMA. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. <http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625>.
Title: Vitamin Supplements
Content Area(s): Life ScienceTopic: Health benefits of vitamin supplements
Short description: Recent large-scale human studies suggests that multivitamins and many other dietary supplements often don't have health benefits, and in some cases may even cause harm.
Claim: Taking vitamin supplements might be harmful to a person's health.
Keywords: multivitamins, supplements
Difficulty of Concept: Easy
Reading Level (Pit Stop 8 Article):
Flesch Reading Ease: 45.1Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 12.5
Lexile: 1360
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-ETS1 Engineering DesignMS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/LiteracyRST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: antioxidant
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Do's and Don'ts: Reasonable Arguments
Link to Game Introduction Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agp18mjiPVQ
Full Text of Article:
Americans shell out billions of dollars every year on vitamins and supplements even though much of the food that we eat has been fortified with extra vitamins and nutrients. We are bombarded daily with ads touting the benefits of taking vitamins. But new research not only refutes many of these claims, it also shows that some of these vitamins may in fact be harmful. For example, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that taking antioxidant vitamins actually increased a person’s risk of dying by up to 16 percent. Another study by researchers at the University of Washington found that high doses of vitamin E taken over ten years slightly elevated lung cancer risk in smokers. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that men who took more than one multivitamin daily had a higher risk of prostate cancer. "Unless your doctor says you need supplements for a specific diagnosis, there is no reason to take them and no need to spend the money," says Christian Gluud, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.Most people think of vitamins as natural and safe since they're sold over the counter everywhere, including health food stores. And many consumers figure you can’t get too much of a good thing. What consumers tend to forget is that many processed foods and so-called diet foods, from crackers to energy bars, are "fortified" with additional vitamins and minerals. Eat and drink enough of these products, take a few pills, and you could be overdosing on some vitamins. Though rare, some reports have shown that bad side effects and even deaths do happen from a vitamin overdose. Additionally, some studies show that about half of the vitamin products sold are either contaminated or not accurately labeled.
References/Sources:
Additional Content:
Author: Cindy Wilbur